Could
this be the most durable spinnerbait? River2Seaís Crystal Spin with a
Polycarbonate encased head design(continued)Retrieving:
As mentioned
earlier, spinnerbaits are one of the most versatile lures out there. This lure
can be retrieved multiple ways, target fish in different structure and
vegetation, and can be fished at depths from the surface to the bottom. The River2Sea
Crystal Spin is no exception to these situations and matches the performance of
the other premium spinnerbaits.

A great looking spinnerbait with big eyes

When retrieved the Crystal
Spin always runs true even at different speeds. The double willow leaf blades
start up and spin smoothly and will flutter on the drop. Like other spinnerbaits
the Crystal Spin does well when fished in vegetation.

The lure will always run true because the
head and body will never deform, even when this spinnerbait above was constantly
tossed against rocks

I mentioned briefly, the
head design of this bait primarily surrounding the polycarbonate shell. Well,
the head design on this spinnerbait is molded in such a way as to support two
skirts giving this bait a much a larger profile and also more body movement as
it is being retrieved. Normally we see only a single skirt defining a
spinnerbaitís profile. In River2Seaís design, there is a second thinned out
skirt closer to the head. It has fewer strands so that the reflective finish on
the head can still be seen but adds movement and increases the lureís overall
body profile.

The Longshank hook decreases the
chances of a short-strike

Durability:Thanks
to the polycarbonate shell over a bismuth-tin alloy head, a spinnerbait head
canít get anymore durable than the Crystal Spinís. We all have heard of the
material polycarbonate, a thermoplastic polymer that is temperature, impact, and
scratch resistant. The bismuth-tin alloy is becoming a common material thatís
replacing many lead products on the market as its performance is very similar to
lead.

No matter what
brand, painted blades will eventually lose its coat. But then gold blades works
just as well

When fishing the River2Sea
Crystal Spin I tossed it like I would any other spinnerbait but fished this lure
more around abrasive areas such as rocks and rocky shorelines to really test
this unique head design. Sometimes I like a quiet presentation so I would toss
my spinnerbait on the edge of the water, landing the lure on gravel, dirt, and
rocks. One day on the California Delta the spinnerbait bite was on. Zander, Cal,
and myself all tossed different brands of spinnerbaits. On Calís first cast with
a brand new spinnerbait from brand X, he cast and whacked his bait hard against
a boulder. When he brought it back to the boat, the lead head was dented! During
that day, as I was trying to prove how durable the polycarbonate shell was, I
tossed it against all types of hard materials including ship wrecks with no
damage to the headís shape. The Crystal Spin head was well protected with only
one hairline scratch that is only visible upon close inspection. The head is
well protected and the reflective patterns along with the head shape remained
untouched and uniform. The pearl patterned Crystal Spin features painted white
blades that did show signs of my abuse with chips in the bladesí but that was
expected as any painted spinnerbait blades would have shown the same effects.
Underneath the paint on this bait, the blades are gold and you can still fish
the lure with the same success.

Here's a 3.5
pound bass caught on the Crystal Spin

Price:
River2Sea continues to bring us high performing premium lures with innovative
materials while keeping the price down. A spinnerbait today can cost anywhere
from one buck to as much as twenty dollars plus, with the average being around
five dollars. The Crystal Spin lure is priced right and is actually a great
price since it uses both quality and unique components and materials.

Ratings:

River2Sea
USA Crystal Spin Ratings
(?/10)

Construction/Quality

Excellent construction and
quality, having extreme durability in the unique head design

9.5

Performance

Performs like a
spinnerbait but the head will not deform and the shine will always be there

9

Price

For its head design we
thought it would be more expensive but glad to see itís priced to compete

8.5

Features

The Crystal Spin is a
spinnerbait features premium components, a long-shank hook, and an
innovative head design that uses a polycarbonate shell to protect the
bismuth-tin alloy head

9

Design
(Ergonomics)

Great design that works
like a true spinnerbait and a head design thatíll stay uniform

9

Application

This lure does what itís
intended to and can be fished in all bodies of water and at any depth. Since
the lureís head design is very durable you can toss it against anything and
not have the head deform

9

Total Score

9.0

Pluses and Minuses:

Plus
Minus

J
Protective
Polycarbonate shell

L
Painted
blades will eventually chip but underneath is a gold blade

J
Blades spin
smoothly

J
Non-lead head

J
Double-skirt
(larger profile)

Conclusion: The design of a
spinnerbait hasnít changed for years but once a while there are those companies
that produce a design that really stands out. The Crystal Spin, designed by
River2Sea USA, looks like any other spinnerbait out there until you look closely
at the head. This lureís non-lead head, molded out of a bismuth-tin alloy is not
only environmental friendly, it is also well protected through a
polycarbonate shell. The head, with the lureís reflective patterns, are encased
in this shell and well protected, and the shape of the head will never deform
under this armored layer. With this unique head design this bait also features
two skirts placed in different locations giving the entire lure more motion and
a larger profile looking much more appealing to predatory fish. Through its
uniqueness and high performance, River2Seaís Crystal Spin is a spinnerbait that
Iíll be keeping in my tackle box, and for these same reasons Iím giving it our
Editorís Choice Award. Which brings us to the question... is there any type of
lure that the guys at R2S can't build? Whether its a crank, plastic craw,
jerkbait, and now spinnerbait... R2S keeps pounding out quality baits!